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G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min,Hour, Day as required.)

Nope!

NOPE!

NOPE…

NOPE

NOPE

Nope!

NOPE!!

NOPE…

NOPE!!

G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min,Hour, Day as required.)

NOPE!

NOPE!

NOPE!

NOPE

NOPE!

Never on game day..... Go BILLS!!!

That's why it really takes a full year to solidify your quit 100% because we have to have time to face all situation where in the past we'd light up a smoke and we have to consciously decide NOT to light up now that we've quit. Every one of those situations you meet with and make the right choice NOT to light up, it makes your quit that much stronger. After your recent experience with this person; the next time you meet up with them, you won't automatically think of lighting up. That's progress! It's these small individual battles you win that will eventually get you to where you want to be ... Quit for life!!

Sazerac Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free. Posted July 1, 2016 It was after quitting smoking, I realized how addiction had turned me into a spoiled brat. I indulged myself completely, I smoked anytime and anywhere possible. My most shameful example was after a home birth, my brand new daughter, alive and healthy, was being walked around by her father and I said to my midwifes, 'man, after 9 months and the last 12 hours, I NEED A SMOKE'. One of my midwifes asked, 'Really ?' 'Yes yes yes yes yes YES, I want a smoke !" She handed me a non filtered cigarette from the pack she had hidden in her jacket and that was the end of that abstinence for 29 years ! I call it 'abstinence' because I never ever wanted to quit and only quit smokes and drinks 'temporarily' for pregnancy. That was really Big of me, huh ? I didn't give a hoot about second hand smoke and that was worse than just acting the spoiled brat. Second hand smoke does actual HARM to people, animals and plants. Smoking is suicidal, homicidal, herbicidal, biocidal all the cidal-s you can think of and continues to make the tobacco companies rich beyond measure Gah! I am elated to not be lining those evil pockets anymore glad also, to not be 'cidal' anything. and one more thing... My Spoiled Brat also made quitting harder. 'This is too hard' the brat would moan 'I don't want to !' the brat would whine 'Why Are You Denying Yourself ? ' The Brat cajoled and wheedled until I simply had no other choice, I killed the Spoiled Brat. Killed Dead. Spoiled Brat-icide. Hah ! If you are thinking about quitting, Know You Can. You don't have to be the spoiled brat that addiction turns us into or, a slave to nicotine anymore. You Can Quit. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7223-spoiled-brats-nicotine-addicts/

@Penguin and @Reciprocity.... I believe that when those trigger events emerge and you successfully ride the crave wave and not feed your brain nicotine, you are actually re-wiring those nictone crave neuropathways and the memory of "I normally smoke when this happenes" really begins to fade away. Thats awesome that you hit another major milestone as a non smoker Penguin. Non-smokers don't automatically think about feeding their brains nicotine when they experience a stressful event or person. / Thanks for sharing.

I've had several interactions lately with a rather frustrating (but well-intended) person. I used to always smoke whenever I finished talking with them, and while the thought of, "I would usually smoke right now" has recently passed through my mind, I didn't want to seek out a cigarette. I'm not a big fan of intentionally putting myself through stress just to get used to it, but every time I organically experience something where I used to normally smoke and I make the choice not to, I can celebrate that it's reinforcing my quit.

I used patches during my initial quit. They helped with the additional stress and anxiety I already suffered from. As far as I can recall within 2 months I quit using them as I forgot to apply one and realized I no longer needed them. I wish you well on your non smoking journey.

I did patches for about 3 weeks, then found I was forgetting to put them on, so carried on without. Other things helped me so much too, like walking, changing routines, listening to relaxing music, and best of all, I loved treating myself to small items weekly, and then larger items monthly, and a big treat 6 months, 12 months. it’s amazing how much more money you will have. Distraction and treats were key for me, and kept me on track as I gave myself rewards. whatever you do to not smoke is good. just don’t smoke

I tried patches and gums at certain points before my final quit, but nothing ever worked for me. I'd be chewing the gum and pocket it in my cheek just to have a cigarette. When I finally quit, it was cold turkey--but a collapsed lung is a strong motivator. I had four days in the hospital to consider the ramifications of what would happen if I kept smoking, and that was enough for me.

Happens to us all when quitting. None of my dreams could be classified as nightmares. After 8+ years quit, if I dream I'm smoking, I just go with the flow and know I'll be awake soon and still a be non-smoker. Edit: Guess I've been gone too long, my ticker is gone.

Gday The more times you face a “trigger” the weaker it becomes. I’m always amazed that the two bigies “the first smoke of the day” and “ finish of a meal smoke” weakened and lost thier power so quickly. It was because I just got to face them more regular, I got to ignore them more and every time they came I realised they had less and less power over me.

You're right @Genecanuck! When you react as a non-smoker in those situations, you are in fact rewiring your brain and solidifying yourself as a non-smoker! My brain absolutely never automatically goes to "I should have a smoke", no matter what situation I'm in now!

Glad you're still at it @Kdad. Keep watching them. A lot of what he talks about is just common sense but as smokers, we didn't h=seem to have a lot of that. Keep checking in here with us to let us know how you;re doing. We really do care about getting you quit for good!

I've been watching Joel videos. I like what he says that we can't be stronger than the smoke but we can be smarter.

I have been stuck at 169.9lbs for over a month! I can’t make the scale budge either way. I would be ecstatic to get back to my self designated ideal weight of 140. The belly fat has become my nemesis. But I’m not suffering from joint pain or stiffness and my back hasn’t bothered me in over a month. My gait is more sure, lengthier, and faster. I’m becoming more and more toned. So all in all, I’m happy and feeling healthier.

Happy Straya Day your smoke free marvels... https://youtu.be/9LKrFZFTHas?si=fwnUrDqEpAIQQrJD

This is a good question, @Gattu Joshi. There are many ways to quit: cold turkey, prescriptions, NRT. There are people who lean into health/exercise, people who get mental health support, and some find 12-step programs useful. There are many opinions and pros and cons to each approach. In my own view, whatever a person needs to get and stay quit is A-OK! Each of us is different. Nicotine is a very powerful addiction, so I think having different tools is useful - as long as we are truly internalizing NOPE along the way. I used lozenges and patches for a short time. In my mind, that was preferable to picking up another cigarette in moments where my quit was new and vulnerable. But it was just a bridge. After a while, I felt that NRT prolonged the discomfort of withdrawal for me - keeping my nicotine receptors activated/hungry. So after a few weeks I quit all NRT as well. I chose NRT as one part of my quitting toolkit because I was a heavy smoker for 40+ years and had to quit in a hurry, for some unplanned surgery. I built on that as an opportunity to quit once and for all. Withdrawal was grim, but I am so glad I powered through it… coming up on 3 years smoke free soon. Let’s find you your forever freedom, too!!

NRT has helped millions quit this addiction. As long as you stick to the directions. ive also heard from folks who have ended up addicted to the Gum . Please be careful you don’t end up like the latter . All roads lead to Rome , so whatever gets you there is fine I also suggest reading the book Allen Carr .. The easy way to stop smoking This book has helped millions including me . Make sure you fill your tool box with lots of useful tips We know you can do it You just need to want it bad enough

Glad you’re back! Be fierce in protecting your quit this time.

Good to see you back @Kdad Learn by what happened , so your more ready if it happens again Lets get this done

Thanks! It happened so fast I didn’t have time to post. I’m back on the train. Hopefully this time sticks.

I'm sorry you smoked again @Kdad Please stay close to this forum, as I believe if you come on here every day or at least every other day in the beginning of your quit, you will have more success. We can and will help you when you are in those situations. So please don't smoke any more cigs! They won't help you. Stay close to us! We are the ones who will help.

I’m gutted …. Gutted because you never posted a SOS How can we help , if you don’t give us that chance to get you through the rough time . Was that one cancer stick worth it , to lose your fabulous Quit … @Kdad we can give you all the tools we can , but the work has to come from you You have to ask yourself , do you want to remain a smoker or truly want to rid yourself of this killer addiction .

Gday Yep pull the money out of your pocket and buy another pack. Smoke 2 throw it away and buy another. And another…. It’s only money. Except money can’t buy you another quit. It’s priceless and it’s only worth is what it’s worth to you. You have to make it worth something . You have to make it a precious thing. Mine is 9 years 3 months of worth to me. Put a cig in my mouth and lite it….. my quit becomes nothing….. jack shit …. Bugger all. Now that’s not gunna happen. I’ve got something that has real value. And I’m not gunna give it away. Dont give in. Make it your precious….

MarylandQuitter Quit Date: 10/07/2013 Posted March 28, 2014 QuitTrain®, a quit smoking support community, was created by former smokers who have a deep desire to help people quit smoking and to help keep those quits intact. This place should be a safe haven to escape the daily grind and focus on protecting our quits. We don't believe that there is a "one size fits all" approach when it comes to quitting smoking. Each of us has our own unique set of circumstances which contributes to how we go about quitting and more importantly, how we keep our quits. This is not an environment where anybody will be judged as we only exist to offer education, support and acceptance. Through education and sharing experiences, we can all help each other to keep this nasty, deadly addiction out of our lives. We all want the same thing; to stay smoke-free and enjoy our lives of living as a non-smoker and all of the health benefits and freedom that it offers. Anybody can quit smoking and anybody can stay that way. It's a matter of finding a good combination of education and support to expose the lies of smoking in a comfortable, come as you are environment. We welcome all with open arms and hope that you can make this your safe haven to take your freedom back and get on with the business of living life as a non-smoker. ------------------------------------- This is a post that Joel used to use quite often at the Freedom From Nicotine Message Board before they implemented their no relapse policy. While it's no longer used at Freedom, it's a very insightful and an excellent message for all of us, especially those who have relapsed and most importantly, mirrors our ideology concerning relapse. A special thanks to Joel for allowing us to use this. I tried freedom once, why bother trying again? Some past participants have shown a certain reluctance to return to Freedom after relapsing back to smoking. Many are embarrassed to come back admitting failure. Others feel they tried Freedom once, and, since they went back to smoking, its techniques must not have worked for them, so why bother trying the same approach again? Still others feel it is an inconvenience and an unnecessary commitment of time and effort considering they "heard it all before." The concept of returning after a relapse may seem embarrassing at first, but, the ex-smoker will probably see quickly he is not alone. Many people have had past quits prior to joining Freedom and understand the fragility of a quit. They will generally understand and accept the presence of repeaters enthusiastically. Relapsers offer a strong confirmation of the concept of addiction to our old members and to all new participants. They often openly share their past experience of how, after initially quitting, they came to a point of complacency which allowed the relapse to occur. They generally reflect back at their non-smoking period as a time where they felt emotionally and physically better, and then openly express the disgust and misery that the relapse brought on. Not only did it cause embarrassment, physical discomfort, and maybe even serious health complications, but also, it was putting them through quitting all over again. Their insights offer a valuable lesson to first time participants not to make the one tragic mistake that could lead them back to smoking and the need for quitting over again--taking a puff on a cigarette. As far as it being an inconvenience, while reading and posting may take a chunk of time out of a smokers life the first few days, in all probability, there is nothing a smoker has to do the week that he or she is stopping that is as important as quitting smoking. Failure to touch base daily with us because of conflicts of time with social or even professional commitments makes about as much sense as a cancer patient skipping life saving chemotherapy treatments for the same events. Missing an entire day because of prior time commitments may jeopardize the quitting process or the long-term maintenance of smoking cessation. This may cost the person his or her life. In the long run, it will probably be viewed as an error in judgment by the patient as well as any significant others who recognize what was put at risk and what was lost in the process. For those who feel that Freedom didn't work, the fact is that the techniques taught here didn't fail, the smoker's implementation did. Only one recurrent theme runs through Freedom: if you don't wish to go back to smoking--NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF! No one ever went back to smoking without disregarding that rule. Relapsing is an automatic admission that the smoker disregarded the basic principal taught at Freedom. As far as feeling that "I've heard it all before," being a relapser is evidence enough that the smoker did not hear it or comprehend it all before, or is the type of person who needs to hear it over and over again in order to keep believing it. Repeaters are people who have trouble initially accepting or keeping the concept of addiction alive. This trait is in all probability the reason why the ex-smoker originally relapsed, or maybe didn't stop at all the first time. He or she reached a point of complacency where it was believed that smoking could be controlled at an acceptable level. Smoking is an all or nothing proposition. The repeater must recognize the reason for the past failure and learn from the experience. Otherwise, he or she will be doomed to repeat it over and over again. If you have gone back to smoking, come in and try again. Once you quit smoking, do everything in your power to stay off. Come in for continued reinforcement and witness the mistakes of other past participants who got complacent. As far as addiction goes, it is much better to learn from others' mistakes than having to attend later due to your own. You just don't know whether you will ever have the strength, desire, or opportunity to quit the next time. In today's society, failing to stay off smoking carries long-term risks which include loss of social status, and respect of others; financial implications which range from supporting an addiction costing hundreds to thousands of dollars per year as well as possibly costing your job and career; and, most significantly, eventual loss of health, and possibly loss of life. Considering all of this, the choice to quit smoking and to stay off is an important one. To keep the ability to stay off smoking you need to always remember to NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF! © Joel Spitzer, 2000 Link to original forum: https://www.quittrain.com/forum/3-introductions-about-us/

Thanks, Jill. To anyone who still struggles, or who got sucked back in to smoking and feels lousy about it, please (re)join us. The only things that await you here are a warm welcome and a little help along your road to freedom. We hope to see you soon.

Cute video from female Japanese punk rock band Shonen Knife featuring lots of cats, presumably all non-smokers.